My wife's grandfather spent 3 days in the hospital after a fall last month. No surgery, nothing but a couple of tests and observation. 42,000 dollars. If this is the government's idea of controlling costs, we're in trouble.

When there are middlemen involved in the process for no other reason that to get rich we are going to see costs skyrocket. Instead of just the elderly and disabled sucking off the taxpayer teet you now have HMOs, insurance companies, and pharmeceutical companies sucking of that teet via Medicare tax dollars.